Maria is Dr Pope’s main scrub team nurse at the Mater Hospital and with 20 years experience behind her, assists Dr Pope in giving the best care possible to his patients.

It was during a year of study that she became interested in Neurosurgery and further specialized in this area. Maria is currently finishing her Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Neurosurgery.

Maria started at the Mater part time where she became the Neurosurgical CNS and being Dr Pope’s main scrub nurse, teaches and educates other high calibre nurses in the specialty of Neurosurgery.

Maria enjoys the outdoors in her beloved Mosman where she is a regular paddler.

Irish Joy D.Bituin

Irish has over 5 years’ experience in the Operating Theatres as a Scrub and Scout Nurse, Recovery Room/Post Anaesthesia Care Unit and monitoring labouring patients both overseas (Philippines) and in Australia.

She is currently a full time employee at the Mater Hospital North Sydney as Scrub/Scout.

She also worked in Auburn District Hospital in Western Sydney Health as a Scrub and Scout Nurse which caters from General Surgery, Plastics, ENT, Endoscopy, Vascular, OB-GYN cases for 10 months.

Irish enjoys tackling the complex spine cases and will often negotiate strongly to secure the scrub-rights.

She is looking forward to married life in late 2016 and will continue to work with Dr Pope much to his delight.

Irish enjoys learning photography, reading and listening to an eclectic range of music
During free time, she attends music concerts and being an avid foodie, likes to try different food and new restaurants usually with her younger sister and friends.

Shannon O’Bryan, Registered Operating Nurse (RN)

Shannon completed her nurse training in 2010 at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada and currently is working towards her Masters in Health Service Management.

Throughout her career she has worked extensively overseas in Canada, New Zealand as well as in Australia in both the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the peri-operative setting.

She developed a keen interest in neurosurgery once commencing at the Mater Hospital and is delighted to be part of Dr Pope’s neurosurgical team.

In her spare time she enjoys taking advantage of the outdoor lifestyle the northern beaches has to offer and can be found minding her beehive and veggie patch on the weekends.